I Tried A Ton Of Eyeliner Pens. Here Are The Easiest Ones To Apply.

While one needs a lot of practice to achieve a cat-eye so sharp it would be a shame not to Instagram a selfie, you also need a good product to work with.

The little stump of coal liner you find at the back of your makeup drawer is probably not going to give you a defined line, no matter how clever you are at eye-lining, so depending on the look you want to achieve, a good liquid or gel eyeliner will do a much better job.

There are so many different eyeliner products out there, from felt tips to gel pots and the good old pencils, and it’s easy to get confused, so I tried them all to do a round up of five eyeliners that deliver. These are my recommendations…

1. Clinique High Impact Custom Black Kajal

Star rating: 3 out of 5

The verdict: This Clinique eyeliner is the no-fuss standard eyeliner pencil everyone should own. It’s not going to give you the kind of super pigmented black a liquid eyeliner gives you, but you also don’t need as much of a steady hand to achieve a nice flick.

2. Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Eye Crayon

Star rating: 4 out of 5

The verdict: I’ve always been a fan of Marc Jacobs makeup and their eyeliners are no exception. It’s a really interesting formula that glides on like a gel, but dries like a liquid eyeliner and stays put all day. I didn’t think a bright purple would be wearable but it actually was subtle enough even for the office and it made my blue eyes pop.

3. Kat von D Ink Liner

Star rating: 5 out of 5

The verdict: Hands down, one of the most pigmented, precise liquid eyeliners out there. I love how long and thin the felt tip is and how close you can get the ink into your lash line. This is the one eyeliner you need if you want to create a cat eye that’s on fleek.

4. Benefit They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

Star rating: 3 out of 5

The verdict: There’s been a lot of buzz about this one as it’s apparently foolproof thanks to its angled shape and creamy formula. While I agree with the first bit – the angled shape does make it quite easy to achieve a straight line –, I wasn’t completely sold on the formula, as it kept on crumbling a bit.

5. Inglot Eyeliner Gel

Star rating: 5 out of 5

The verdict: I absolutely love the light, super pigmented texture of this gel. Applied with an angled brush, this would have to be the easiest out of the bunch, as it’s just the right combination of liquid and creamy. It’s a little bit harder to achieve a sharp, defined look, but it’s definitely my go-to product when I’m in a rush, as it’s much more foolproof than the others.